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Authors: Remy Richard
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hers.
“The quiz and the lunch meeting are kind of linked.”
Noah just stayed quiet and waited for her to continue. Finding it easier to talk when she wasn’t looking at him, she paced back and forth. “The quiz was something out of a magazine that the students were passing around last week. Mac confiscated it from a student and brought it to our girls’ night dinner, where we all took it. And I failed it.”
Rory paused for the inevitable comment from him, but it never came. He just watched her intently, not interrupting or smiling at all. “Apparently I’m not the only one who did. The vice-principal came across a stack of these quizzes and a bunch of the students failed the most rudimentary questions. Couple this with the rash of girls at the high school across town that have gotten pregnant and the administration is worried that the kids aren’t getting any sex education at all. So they want all of the biology teachers to work it into their curriculum.”
Noah raised an eyebrow at that. “They want the teachers to work that quiz into the curriculum? Can I enroll as a student here?”
Rory rolled her eyes but found a smile despite herself. “Not the quiz, moron. Sex education. With a distinct emphasis on abstinence and birth control.”
“When I was at school we had an actual sex education class.”
“Welcome to schooling after the recession. Budget cuts a long time ago got rid of sex ed. And arts clubs. And pretty soon, the band. The only reason we still have athletics other than football and basketball here is because of teachers like Brianna who have stepped up to coach for free.”
“So now you’re the new sex ed teacher. Why is that a problem, Rory? I know you know the material.”
“Look at that quiz! I took it and I failed it!” Rory cried.
“Yeah, but not the parts about biology. You knew stuff that I never would have guessed in a hundred years. You’re not going to be teaching these kids positions; you’re going to be teaching them mechanics and how the reproductive system works,” Noah said in a calm and even voice. She appreciated him pointing out the obvious but she was too worked-up to listen to reason.
“Plus it’s uncomfortable to lecture about this stuff. It’s so important that I stay in control of my classroom. Usually my age isn’t an issue at all, but when it comes to stuff like this it’s so obvious that I’m only a few years older than them.” Rory buried her face in her hands and tried the deep breathing thing again.
“You’re ten years older than they are, Rory. At least. And yes, they are going to heckle you. That doesn’t have anything to do with your age. I distinctly remember some unsavory jokes being made around this subject in Mr. Anderson’s class and he was old and balding. Not young and beautiful like you. It’s just the nature of the teenage beast that they can’t be adult about stuff like this.”
Rory kept her face in her hands and considered what he had said. Especially the young and beautiful part. She breathed deep. “What if they have a question and I can’t answer it? What if I can’t get through the lecture because I’m too embarrassed and they miss something important?”
She heard Noah’s steps and then saw the tips of his loafers when he stopped in front of her. His hands settled on her shoulders and he pulled her towards his chest. “That’s what makes you such a great teacher, honey. The fact that you care at all if they’re not getting what they need from your class. But you can’t stress out this much over it. They are going to be just as flustered as you. They aren’t going to ask you anything really dirty. And even if one of the boys gets up the nerve to do it, just ignore him and continue on with the lecture.”
He rubbed his thumb down the side of her cheek as he spoke and she relaxed into his chest. He still smelled nice. She wanted to bury her nose in his chest without the shirt between them. They stood like that
“The quiz and the lunch meeting are kind of linked.”
Noah just stayed quiet and waited for her to continue. Finding it easier to talk when she wasn’t looking at him, she paced back and forth. “The quiz was something out of a magazine that the students were passing around last week. Mac confiscated it from a student and brought it to our girls’ night dinner, where we all took it. And I failed it.”
Rory paused for the inevitable comment from him, but it never came. He just watched her intently, not interrupting or smiling at all. “Apparently I’m not the only one who did. The vice-principal came across a stack of these quizzes and a bunch of the students failed the most rudimentary questions. Couple this with the rash of girls at the high school across town that have gotten pregnant and the administration is worried that the kids aren’t getting any sex education at all. So they want all of the biology teachers to work it into their curriculum.”
Noah raised an eyebrow at that. “They want the teachers to work that quiz into the curriculum? Can I enroll as a student here?”
Rory rolled her eyes but found a smile despite herself. “Not the quiz, moron. Sex education. With a distinct emphasis on abstinence and birth control.”
“When I was at school we had an actual sex education class.”
“Welcome to schooling after the recession. Budget cuts a long time ago got rid of sex ed. And arts clubs. And pretty soon, the band. The only reason we still have athletics other than football and basketball here is because of teachers like Brianna who have stepped up to coach for free.”
“So now you’re the new sex ed teacher. Why is that a problem, Rory? I know you know the material.”
“Look at that quiz! I took it and I failed it!” Rory cried.
“Yeah, but not the parts about biology. You knew stuff that I never would have guessed in a hundred years. You’re not going to be teaching these kids positions; you’re going to be teaching them mechanics and how the reproductive system works,” Noah said in a calm and even voice. She appreciated him pointing out the obvious but she was too worked-up to listen to reason.
“Plus it’s uncomfortable to lecture about this stuff. It’s so important that I stay in control of my classroom. Usually my age isn’t an issue at all, but when it comes to stuff like this it’s so obvious that I’m only a few years older than them.” Rory buried her face in her hands and tried the deep breathing thing again.
“You’re ten years older than they are, Rory. At least. And yes, they are going to heckle you. That doesn’t have anything to do with your age. I distinctly remember some unsavory jokes being made around this subject in Mr. Anderson’s class and he was old and balding. Not young and beautiful like you. It’s just the nature of the teenage beast that they can’t be adult about stuff like this.”
Rory kept her face in her hands and considered what he had said. Especially the young and beautiful part. She breathed deep. “What if they have a question and I can’t answer it? What if I can’t get through the lecture because I’m too embarrassed and they miss something important?”
She heard Noah’s steps and then saw the tips of his loafers when he stopped in front of her. His hands settled on her shoulders and he pulled her towards his chest. “That’s what makes you such a great teacher, honey. The fact that you care at all if they’re not getting what they need from your class. But you can’t stress out this much over it. They are going to be just as flustered as you. They aren’t going to ask you anything really dirty. And even if one of the boys gets up the nerve to do it, just ignore him and continue on with the lecture.”
He rubbed his thumb down the side of her cheek as he spoke and she relaxed into his chest. He still smelled nice. She wanted to bury her nose in his chest without the shirt between them. They stood like that
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